DNA Testing - know the In's and Out's of it. Genetic Genealogy, a new branch of genealogy combining genetics and traditional genealogy research, is the most accurate tool for the family historian. Family connections can be proven or disproven. DNA testing can support a paper trail which is often in question given the lack of surviving records. Its popularity grows daily with thousands testing monthly throughout the world.

20 February 2016

What makes the X-chromosome so
special? Mainly it is a pattern of inheritance. Like the other twenty-two
chromosomes, it randomly recombines in meiosis, but unlike the other
twenty-two, only certain ancestors are contributors. Furthermore, males and
females inherit differently.

INHERITANCE

The X-chromosome is one of the
two sex chromosomes, and it helps determine gender. A female receives two
X-chromosomes, one from her father and one from her mother. A male has only one
X-chromosome, which he receives from his mother. At conception (actually at
meiosis), a mother’s two X-chromosomes go through a recombination process, thus
scrambling segments on the two chromosomes and even moving some segments from
one chromosome to the other. The mother gives one of the randomly recombined
X-chromosomes to her child (son or daughter), but each child receives a
different randomly-recombined X-chromosome. Fathers, however, have only one
X-chromosome that is passed only to their daughters without going through the
recombination process. Fathers do not give an X-chromosome to their sons
because they give them the Y-chromosome.

However, the father’s X-chromosome
is a random mix of his parents and of his ancestors who were able to contribute
to this chromosome.

Due to the way the X-chromosome
is passed to the next generation, the inheritance of it varies between the
genders and only specific ancestors can contribute. Naturally, as females get
two X-chromosomes, they receive more matches than males, and because males
receive their X from their mothers, their matches will be only on their
mother’s half of their pedigree chart. As it can be difficult to visualize the
route of inheritance for each gender, using the appropriate list of numbers
(figure 1) from an ahnentafel chart or completing the fan chart created by Dr.
Blaine Bettinger (figure 2) is quite helpful. The percentages in parenthesis
after the numbers in the second table (figure 1) are the estimated average
amounts contributed by that ancestor for the male inheritance. Due to
recombination from a mother’s X-chromosomes, actual percentages cannot be
confidently provided.

With recombination, it is unlikely
that a female will receive 50 percent of her X-chromosome from her moth­er’s
father and 50 percent from her mother’s mother. It is more likely to be a far
different percentage anywhere from 0 percent to 100 percent for either of the
parents. This means any ancestor can be over or under repre­sented in the
X-chromosome, according to Dr. Bettinger, the Genetic Genealogist (http://www.thegeneticgene­alogist.com/2009/01/12/more-x-chromosome-charts/).
For this reason, one should not assume that finding the common ancestor for a
match will be easy. However, you can more easily determine who may have
contributed a segment of the X-chromosome by using the tables (See Figure 1) or
by using the fan charts prepared by Dr. Blaine Bettinger (See Figure 2). Remember
to use the correct one for your gender.

FEMALE INHERITANCE WITHOUT PERCENTAGES

1

15

43

62

106

125

183

219

246

2

21

45

63

107

126

186

221

247

3

22

46

85

109

127

187

222

250

5

23

47

86

110

170

189

223

251

6

26

53

87

111

171

190

234

253

7

27

54

90

117

173

191

235

254

10

29

55

91

118

174

213

237

255

11

30

58

93

119

175

214

238

13

31

59

94

122

181

215

239

14

42

61

95

123

182

218

245

Figure 1 from Genetic Genealogy: The Basics
and Beyond, p. 43

MALE INHERITANCE WITH PERCENTAGES

1

31 (12.5%)

109 (12.5%)

213 (12.5%)

238 (3.125%)

3 (100%)

53 (25%)

110 (6.25%)

214 (6.25%)

239 (3.125%)

6 (50%)

54 (12.5%)

111 (6.25%)

215 (6.25%)

245 (6.25%)

7 (50%)

55 (12.5%)

117 (12.5%)

218 (6.25%)

246 (3.125%)

13 (50%)

58 (12.5%)

118 (6.25%)

219 (6.25%)

247 (3.125%)

14 (25%)

59 (12.5%)

119 (6.25%)

221 (6.25%)

250 3.125%)

15 (25%)

61 (12.5%)

122 (6.25%)

222 (3.125%)

251 (3.125%)

26 (25%)

62 (6.25%)

123 (6.25%)

223 (3.125%)

253 (1.5625%)

27 (25%)

63 (6.25%)

125 (6.25%)

234 (6.25%)

254 (1.5625%)

29 (25%)

106 (12.5%)

126 (3.125%)

235 (6.25%)

255 (1.5625%)

30 (12.5%)

107 (12.5%)

127 (3.125%)

237 (6.25%)

Figure 2 from Genetic
Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond, p. 43

Figures 3 and 4 Courtesy of
Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D.

FINDING COMMON ANCESTORS

Although the X-chromosome and the autosomal DNA are
sequenced at the same time, only Family Tree DNA and 23andMe (of the three
major testing companies) al­low you to view your X-chromosome matches directly
at their website with a chromosome browser feature. With AncestryDNA, you must
download your autosomal DNA results into GEDmatch.com to view the X-chromosome
results.

The Family Tree DNA chromosome browser offers the option of
viewing your results by name and several other categories, including X matches.
This allows you to see only those matches with whom you share the X-chro­mosome.
If more than one person appears with the same segment, email them to determine
if everyone matches everyone else. This can help females determine if the match
is on one X-chromosome versus the other. Males do not have to compare their
matches with each other to determine which side of their family has the match,
as they only inherit their mother’s X-chromosome.

CREATING AN X-CHROMOSOME AHNENTAFEL

Because the X-chromosome is inherited differently be­tween
the genders, and because not every ancestor has the possibility of contributing
to the X-chromosome, it is important to create an X-chromosome ahnentafel to help
you focus on the ancestral lines to assist in finding the common ancestor.

Using your genealogy software, create an ahnentafel chart, and
then delete all the numbered ancestors that do not correspond to the table for
your gender. When gen­erating a list for how the X-chromosome is inherited, a
male starts with his mother and a female starts with herself. Keep this
ahnentafel in a document you can share with your matches. (See Figure 5.)

The following is only five generations of my ahnen­tafel
chart for the X-chromosome, but I offer all I have on my ancestors to my match.
Notice that the following numbers are omitted as I do not inherit information
on the X-chromosome for these ancestors: 4, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25
and so on. I tend to leave the data for each ancestor who is deceased in case
location could be a factor. I also retain the children of the ancestors in
hopes that my match recognizes someone. If I do not know an ancestor for a
particular number, I list the person as in this example: 90. UNKNOWN father of Elizabeth Pryor who m.Daniel
Simpson

22. James E. Simpson, born 03 May 1849 in pos.
Bates Co, MO; died 29 Mar 1924 in Helm, Pulaski Co, MO. He was the son of 44.
Daniel Simpson and 45. Elizabeth Pryor. He married 23. Nancy
Williams ca 1869.

23. Nancy Williams, born 1849 in IL; died Bet.
1880 - 1910 in MO.

26. George Henry McCoon, born 19 Jul 1828 in
Catskill, Green Co, NY or MA; died 10 Mar 1917 in Berkeley, Alameda Co, CA. He
was the son of 52. James Timothy McCoon and 53. Olive Miller. He
married 27. Laura Almeda Parker 18 Feb 1853 in Albion, Dane Co, WI.

27. Laura Almeda Parker, born 1834 in NY. She was the
daughter of 54. Simon Parker and 55. Lauran Unknown.

29. Helen Storrier, born 28 Apr 1812 in Dundee,
County Angus, Scotland; died 22 Dec 1891 in Fredonia, Wilson Co, KS. She was
the daughter of 58. David Storrier and 59. Margaret Lyall.

To use the fan charts in Figure 3
and 4, simply photocopy the appropriate chart large enough to enter the names
of your ancestors. I usually copy each fan chart on two 8 x 11 inches pages and
tape them together. Having both versions (male and female) handy allows you to
com­plete a sample for yourself and for a match. If you are not familiar with a
fan chart, it is just a different form of a pedigree chart. The tester is
number one on the chart (the center circle). Then starting on the row above the
circle and to the far left, enter the parent’s name that would fit in the
colored box, blue for males and pink for females. After finishing each row, go
to the next row above it and to the far left again and repeat the process for
your grandparents, etc. Have your X-chromosome match follow the same procedure.

For a copy of both fan charts, see: http://www.
thegeneticgenealogist.com/2008/12/21/unlock­ing-the-genealogical-secrets-of-the-x-chromosome/

A variation of these charts can be seen at: http:// freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hulse­berg/DNA/xinheritance.html

It would seem that the process of
viewing who can contribute to the X-chromosome would easily provide you with
the name of your common ancestor, and in some cases it does. However, many of
the matches re­ceived on the X-chromosome are not large enough to ensure
success. That is, due to recombination, a great number of those matches will
not share enough centi­morgans (“cMs”) to discover the common ancestor. The
segments look bigger on a chromosome browser graphic than they do in the table
that provides the centimorgans; therefore, view the information in the table or
download it into a spreadsheet. Algorithms for the X-chromosome are not as
accurate as those which determine the match­es on our other chromosomes. For
these reasons focus on segments that are quite large, perhaps above 20 cMs, at
least. For example, I currently have 239 matches on my X-chromosome with only
three matches above 20 cMs. Smaller matches could be IBS (Identical By State1)
so work with substantial segments.

SUCCESS VS. NO SUCCESS

My cousin Rebecca and I match
several places on our chromosomes as well as on two segments of the X-chro­mosome.
The largest segment is 39.54 cMs. I used Dr. Bettinger’s fan chart to determine
our common ancestor. Although I knew Rebecca was a cousin on my mother’s line,
I did not know which ancestor provided that seg­ment of our X until we
completed the charts. As you can see from the charts below, the only name which
is the same for both of us is Mary. This portion of our X came from her, but no
doubt this segment has some elements of several of her ancestors. We can be
certain that this portion of the X did not come from Mary’s husband Lowry as
Lowry could not have given his X to his son Robert, the grandfather of Rebecca.

Example
of using Dr. Bettinger’s fan chart to find the common ancestor between author
and her cousin.

In comparing lineages with
another match who shares 24.33 cMs, our common ancestor cannot be de­termined
for several possible reasons. Knowing these reasons may help you understand why
finding common ancestors can be difficult.

1. She does not
know some of her X-chromosome ancestors.

2. I do not
know some of my X-chromosome ancestors

3. The common
ancestor’s segment could be under- or over-represented.2

4. Her lines go
back to Hungary (now Slovakia) and Germany, very recently, and mine do not.

5. We do not
know all the siblings of our ancestors who could have inherited this portion of
the X-chromosome; therefore, it may be difficult to trace the lineage to the
common ancestor.

SUMMARY

It bears repeating that the
X-chromosome is one of the two sex chromosomes. Females receive one X from each
of their parents, but males only receive the X from their mothers. The
X-chromosome recombines in meiosis as do the other twenty-two chromosome, and
is inherited differently by men and women. Use either the table, or Dr.
Bettinger’s fan charts, to create an X-chromosome ahnentafel chart to determine
which ancestors could have contributed to your X. Focus on twenty centimor­gans
or more for locating common ancestors.

ENDNOTES

1.Identical by State (IBS) ― a half-identical region (HIR) in the DNA
that is a small segment of DNA that came from a very dis­tant ancestor. The
smaller the segment, the less likely it is to be cut by a crossover in passing
to the next generation. This means that these small segments generally get
passed along whole or not at all. There is a chance that a small segment may
have been passed along whole for several generations. These small segments may
be from an ancestor who lived so long ago that they are beyond genealogical
records.

2.Although a child receives an X-chromosome from his or her mother, it is
unlikely that that X would represent 50 percent of their maternal grandfather
and 50 percent of their maternal grandmother. It is more likely that some other
random amount between 0 percent and 100 percent would be inherited as the
chromosome recombines. Therefore, an ancestor is likely to be under-represented
(i.e., less than 50 percent) or over-represented (i.e., more than 50 percent)
in the X-chromosome. The natural distribution of “under and over” is always
possible. Therefore, we could be looking at a segment that gives false
information in regard to the generation in which we share the common ancestor.
That is, the larger the segment, usually we deduce the closer the relationship
and the smaller the segment the more distant the relationship.

Written for the GFO DNA Special
Interest Group, 18 Jan 2015 and appeared in the GFO Bulletin, Volume 64, No. 3,
March 2015.

GFO is the Genealogical Forum
of Oregon in Portland Oregon. See their website: www.gfo.org

For more information about DNA,
please con­sider getting Emily’s book, Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and
Beyond which can be purchased online at AuthorHouse.com, Amazon.com,
and Barnes and Noble in paperback or as an e-book. The book can be ordered at
any bookstore.

Anyone can test their autosomal
DNA (atDNA) and match both males and females. Autosomal DNA determines your
traits. It is the reason we look like our parents and siblings, but not exactly
alike, except for identical twins. Even in the case of identical twins, there
are differences that can be detected with detailed DNA testing.

Autosomal DNA does not provide
information on just the all-male or all-female lines. This is what Y-DNA (for
males) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (for females and males) testing does.
Instead, autosomal DNA tests all the chromosomes except the Y chromo­some,
which only males have. Autosomal testing does include the X chromosome. Because
inheritance of the X chromosome varies with gender, details on the X chromosome
and how it is inherited will be covered in a future lesson, or see Dr. Blaine
Bettinger’s post: http://
www.thegeneticgenealogist.com/2009/01/12/more-x-chromosome-charts/.

Autosomal DNA is received
randomly from each parent during meiosis. The randomness varies with each child
who is conceived. Children get approximately 50 percent of their DNA from each
parent. For this reason, autosomal tests will not usually give matches further
back than six generations with any mathematical cer­tainty. However, there are
circumstances that can allow matches to older generations. To understand this
more clearly, consider that your fourth great-grandparents (sixth generation)
gave 50 percent of their DNA to their child. That child (your third
great-grandparent), in turn gave 50 percent of their DNA. However, that would
only be about 25 percent from that fourth great-grand­parent. Therefore, the
next generation (your second great-grandparent) would receive about 12.5
percent of the DNA of that fourth great-grandparent. As you can see, in a few
generations, the DNA from a specific fifth or sixth great-grandparent would be
negligible, in most cases.

Approximate
percentage of DNA inherited from parents and grandparents:

50%

Mother, father

25%

Grandfathers, grandmothers

12.50%

Great-grandparents

6.25%

2nd Great-grandparents

3.13%

3rd Great-grandparents

1.56%

4th Great-grandparents

0.78%

5th Great-grandparents

0.39%

6th Great-grandparents

0.20%

7th Great-grandparents

0.10%

8th Great-grandparents

0.05%

9th Great-grandparents

However, if you descend from a
population group that is endogamous (featuring intermarriage within a group
according to custom or law such as some religious groups or some families in
Colonial America), you can inherit more DNA from particular ancestors. In this
situation, matches you receive can go back farther than six generations, with
the testing company suggesting that the relationship of the matches is closer
than they really are. Each ancestral marriage between cousins of any degree or
otherwise blood-related persons increases the share of DNA they pass down from
their common ancestors. The closer their relationship, the greater the effect
can be. For example, one set of my paternal grand­parents were first cousins. I
received a match stating a woman and I were third cousins. I already knew my
connection with this woman as we had discovered our genealogical connection
before DNA was ever used. She and I are really seventh cousins!

Because the atDNA from both
parents mixes ran­domly at meiosis, each child typically receives different
segments from each parent, so some siblings may car­ry a certain trait while
other siblings do not carry that same trait. In basic biology class, we learned
that some traits are recessive while others are dominant. In the diagram below,
you can see a hypothetical family with four children and what they inherited
based upon the DNA mixes.

Both parents have brown hair, but
both have the recessive red hair gene, one parent represented in the top row,
the other in the first column. The odds are they could have one child with red
hair (rr), and two other children who inherited the recessive gene (Br, rB) and
who could pass it along. If one of the above children who either has red hair
(rr) or also carries the red hair recessive gene (Br, rB) marries a red-head or
someone else with the red hair recessive gene, then there could be more
red-heads in the family.

Father on the top line; mother on the left column

Brown

Red

Brown

Brown

Brown

Brown

red

red

Brown

red

red

red

The companies that currently
offer autosomal testing are Family Tree DNA, 23andMe, AncestryDNA, and Geno
2.0. These companies vary in some respects. Everyone but Geno 2.0 tests around
700,000 SNPs. (SNP, pronounced snip, is an acronym for single nucleotide
polymorphism. In simplest terms, it is a location where the DNA changes in the
general population.) Geno 2.0 is unique and deals with ancient ancestry. That
company is covered separately (see companion story on page 32).

Two of the companies, FTDNA and
23andMe, offer some type of chromosome chart where you can specifi­cally see
where you and your match share the same DNA. FTDNA’s Family Finder and
23andMe’s Relative Finder allow you to download the raw data files so you can
re­view them in Excel or a similar spreadsheet program. AncestryDNA does not
provide a chromosome chart, but you can download your raw data and view it in a
third-party tool called GEDmatch. Only Family Finder allows you to see the name
of the match and the per­son’s email. The other companies allow you to contact
the match only through their website. As of this writing, FTDNA is allowing
23andMe(V3) and AncestryDNA users to transfer their raw data to the FTDNA
database for free. https://www.familytreedna.com/Autosomal­Transfer

USING atDNA FOR GENEALOGY

Y-DNA deals only with the
all-male or top line of a ge­nealogy pedigree chart (hence the surname line in
most cultures), and mtDNA deals only with the all-female or bot­tom line of the
pedigree chart. The atDNA gives you matches on these and the other lines of
your pedigree chart, without restriction by gender, going back with some surety
for about six generations from the tester. For this reason, it is wise to test
as many older generations of your family as you can, as well as siblings.

Like any other DNA test,
autosomal DNA tests give you matches, but it is up to you and your match to
discover where on your pedigree chart your common ancestor lies. If the
connection is not identified through your paper trails, atDNA information can
provide an alter­native. This process involves the analysis of the data in a
chart or spreadsheet. There are ways to narrow this hunt, and the basic premise
is to test first to third cousins. For example, I tested my paternal first
cousin Doug. If he and I match a person (I will call Mary) on the same
chromosome at the same segment, then I know Mary matches on my father’s line.
The next step is to deter­mine if Mary is on my father’s paternal or maternal
side. To accomplish this, I tested my paternal grandmother’s nephew Dan (my
first cousin, once removed). If Dan, Mary, and I match, then I know the common
ances­tor is on my paternal grandmother’s line. By testing parents and child
and/or several cousins, one can map one’s chromosomes and actually determine
from what ancestor you received what sections or segments of your DNA. More
information on chromosome mapping for those who wish to test various family
members will be covered in a future Bulletin column, or get a copy of my
book, Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond.

Autosomal testing is also good
for adoptees who would like to contact close relatives in order to gath­er more
information on their family. It is important to remember that everyone you
match is related to you, however distantly.

In summation, autosomal DNA
provides the tester a list of cousins with whom the tester shares a common
ancestor anywhere on their six-generation pedigree chart and sometimes even
farther back, as when cousins have married cousins. Mapping the chromosomes is
the best way to determine the common ancestor for your matches and can be
accomplished more easily by testing cousins where possible. Remember to choose
the company that best fits your needs, and if possible test with all three
companies to be in each of their databases in order to find more cousins.

The Genographic Project, an arm
of the National Geographic Society, launched their Geno 2.0 test in the fall of
2012. This test, like Geno 1.0, is a scientific study to research the migration
patterns of our ancient ancestors, but is designed to have a larger impact on
population genetics informa­tion, as well as the genetic genealogy world.

Geno 2.0 does the following:

·Tests your most ancient ancestry, so this may
not be the first test you wish to do for genealogy.

·Reports the two population groups to which the
Genographic Project believes you are most related out of a total of 43
populations

·Reports the percentage of your autosomal DNA
that is (allegedly) originally from Neanderthal and Denisovan hominids

Geno 2.0 uses 130,000 autosomal
and X-chromosomal SNPs including 30,000 SNPs from regions of interbreed­ing
between extinct hominids and modern humans.

Recently, DNA evidence has shown
that modern humans inbred with the Neanderthals who populated Western Eurasia.
Neanderthal DNA is 99.7 percent identical to humans, and scientists believe
that many humans may have inherited one to four percent of their DNA from
Neanderthals. Scientists also believe some Neanderthals and some modern humans
inbred with the Denisovans who populated Eastern Eurasia. It is thought that
islanders in Papua New Guinea may be distant cousins of the Denisovans. With
the 2008 discovery in Siberia’s Denisova cave of a 40,000 year-old finger bone
of a young girl referred to as X-Woman, and a tooth of a Denisovan adult, the
entire Denisovan genome has been extracted.

Besides the X-DNA and autosomal
DNA, the Geno 2.0 test uses an extensive number of SNP mark­ers from mtDNA and
Y-DNA that will improve the scientific knowledge of the geographic origins of
our ancient ancestry by delineating between populations and narrowing the
geographic areas where our ancient ancestors were located. This means breaking
down a European haplogroup into smaller locations, a wonder­ful advantage for
studying your ancient ancestry and its migration.

MITOCHONDRIAL DNA (mtDNA)

Geno 2.0 uses the new
Phylogenetic Tree from Dr. Doron Behar’s paper, A Uniquely Anthropological
Approach to Human Origins and Dispersals. Dr. Behar and his col­leagues
have revolutionized the mtDNA Phylogenetic tree so that instead of comparing
your mtDNA to the rCRS (Revised Cambridge Reference Sequence), the new RSRS
(Reconstructed Sapiens Reference Sequence) will be implemented. The RSRS is a
proposed system com­paring mitochondrial markers that include the known
Neanderthal sequences. This system gives a more ac­curate view because
haplogroups closer to our ancient origins will have fewer mutations than those
haplogroups that are more recent, thus displaying the haplogroups in a better
time-oriented sequence. In the past, the rCRS showed fewer mutations for
Haplogroup H (the CRS contributor’s haplogroup) with many for haplogroups that
are more ancient and closer to Mitochondrial Eve, the oldest-known female
haplogroup, thus displaying mutations in a sometimes backward manner.

Y-DNA

About 15,000 SNPs with both new
SNPs and SNPs from the established Y-DNA Phylogenetic Tree are included in this
test. With these new SNPs, we are seeing the Phy­logenetic Tree for Y-DNA
explode! There will be more Haplogroup subclades than ever before, thus helping
testers determine in detail who is more closely related as well as providing
younger and more geographically relevant Y-DNA branches. It not only refines
the twigs (subclades) on the Y-DNA tree, it will also define the relationships
between those twigs (subclades). This level of SNP testing will provide a much
more accurate age for Y-SNP-based lineage to better clarify Bronze Age
migrations from late Neolithic migrations, which is im­portant in understanding
early history and pre-history.

This article appeared in the GFO
Bulletin, Volume 64, No. 2, December 2014.

GFO is the Genealogical Forum
of Oregon in Portland Oregon. See their website: www.gfo.org

For more information about DNA,
please con­sider getting Emily’s book, Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and
Beyond which can be purchased online at AuthorHouse.com, Amazon.com,
and Barnes and Noble in paperback or as an e-book. The book can be ordered at
any bookstore.

Emily Aulicino

Genetic Genealogist

Welcome to My Genetic Genealogy Blog

Genetic Genealogy is a wonderful resource for the family genealogist or historian and is growing daily! From time to time I will post URLs and books that can be helpful. My blog is my personal venture and is selective in its contents. It is not a reflection of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy.

I am the Northwest Regional Coordinator for the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG*) and manage twelve DNA Projects and several email lists on Rootsweb and Yahoo. I am available to speak at any function regarding Genetic Genealogy and on writing one's memories and family stories. ......For my DNA Projects, I prefer using Family Tree DNA. You can order a test kit by clicking on the FTDNA logo below.

You are welcome to email me at: aulicino@hevanet.com using the Blog's name in the subject line, if you have any comments or questions.

-------*ISOGG is a non-profit organization designed solely to promote and educate the public about DNA testing in regard to genealogy. Membership is free, but tell them that Emily sent you! See: www.isogg.org --------------

Best wishes and visit often,Emily

Presentation Topics

Introduction to Genetic Genealogy: DNA Your Paper Trail

Autosomal DNA and Chromosome Mapping

Becoming a DNA Project Manager

Care and Feeding of a DNA Project

Establishing a DNA Interest Group

Writing Your Childhood and Family Memories: A simple technique

NOTE: Custom Topics available upon request

Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond by Emily D. Aulicino

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.....Presentations for both the Genetic Genealogy and for the writing sessions are normally two hours, but can be adapted. I prefer an computer projector for with a screen and a table for displaying my DNA book and/or writing booklet......Your group can photocopy the handouts or I will do so for $.05 per side. If speaking within the general area of Portland, Oregon I do not charge for mileage or travel expenses. Outside of the general Portland area, I do require the IRS amount of $.56 per mile. If I need to stay over night, a motel room or staying with a non-smoking female will be necessary......Although, as a member of the International Society of Genetic Genealogists (ISOGG), I cannot ask for a speaker's fee for the Genetic Genealogy presentations, but I can accept an honorarium. This is not the case with the writing classes. $75 is the standard.Email: aulicino@hevanet.com

Recommendations and Compliments

Genetic Genealogy

"Emily Aulicino is one of the most dynamic people I know. Her energy and enthusiasm has helped make Oregon the largest member per capita region in all of ISOGG. Emily’s educator background is apparent and complimentary to her speaking engagements which create a presentation that is easy-to-understand for any novice. Her reputation has made her an immensely popular speaker throughout the Pacific Northwest which has resulted in nationwide requests. Emily is a proven leader who welcomes a challenge. She manages many people and projects with skill and ability that can only be innate. I have the utmost confidence that Emily will excel at any task presented to her and I look forward to many more years working with her."-------Katherine Borges, Director of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG)

Unsolicited Comments:

Barbara in Washington wrote:I just wanted to touch base with you and tell you how impressed I was with your lectures today. They were fun and up, and you were able to explain the DNA process to me in terms that I could understand.

"Memoing" My Memories

130 Topic Booklet for Sale

"Memoing" My Memories - Unsolicited Testimony

Rhonda in Oregon writes:The writing tip you gave us Thursday is great! I went right to my stash of journals (I have trouble journaling, but love the books!), and made a page for every year since my birth year.I’m very excited to start writing my memories down. Thanks again for a fantastic tip!!

Anne in Michigan writes:"So many times I have sat down and tried to write out my life's story. I got so bored with myself that I never got more than a few pages done. This method has totally changed my outlook and has renewed my lifelong interest to write about my life so that my children will have something to remember me by.I am psyched, pumped and ready to go now!”

Beth in Texas writes:“I am finding the topics very helpful in writing about things I would have never thought about before. These topics give me an opportunity not to dwell on the unhappy times in my life, and remember some of the less important, but memorable topics that I'd like to pass on to my children. I'll still write about unhappy times, but they will be sprinkled in with other memories.”

Jan in Kentucky writes:“Emily, you do so very much for so many, and it is so appreciated! You also have broken my writing block, and I appreciate that...if not for you, I don't know that I would have had the heart to return to it. You truly are doing a lot of good with that list of yours and the effects will be known for years and generations for so many. I think sometimes we just need to tell you that.”

Bob in Sherwood, Oregon writes:THANKS to you I started writing my "story" last Friday. If it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't have started it. It's all your fault...You, You, "Inspirator", You! Telling usto write in "pictures". If I started it prior to your presentation it would have begun... "I was born on October 29, 1944 in Jamestown, New York". Needless to say you had a GREAT impact on my writing.

Bill in New Jersey writes:Just a short note to says thanks to you, Emily, for the prompts. I especially like the way in which you write the suggestions to go along with the prompts.

Books About Childhood Memories and Family Stories

As most of you know I seldom read fiction, and as a result, I am interested in books that are historical in nature and/or tell the stories of people's lives. The following list is some books that I have read which are by people I know, people who are related to me, people I have met, and people with whom I've corresponded for a time. Proudly, I have each author's autograph, and I'm beginning to think of this as a new collection/hobby of mine! .

Each of these stories have great struggles and challenges. Some are of childhood while others occurred when the author was an adult. I hope that you will find them interesting as I have. They are truly a slice of our American Life!

Childhood Shadows: The Hidden Story of the Black Dahlia Murder by Mary Pacios

Son of Scarface: A Memoir by the Grandson of Al Capone by Chris W. Knight

Run Jane Run: A True Story of Murder and Courage by Jane Wells

Somehow, We'll Survive: Life in Japan During World War II Through The Eyes of a Young Caucasian Boy by George Sidline

About Me

Emily is available for Presentations regarding Writing Your Family Memories and Childhood Stories.
----- Learn to WRITE ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY MEMORIES using a quick and simple technique. Learn various organizational ideas and writing tips. ------- BOOK FOR SALE on writing your memories at workshops or by mail (Spiral bound; 144 pages on heavy vellum; 130 topics with writing tips and organizational ideas).
Emily is also available to give presentations on Genetic Genealogy. See the following blog for more information: http://genealem-geneticgenealogy.blogspot.com/
--------- EMAIL for further details on either topic:
aulicino@hevanet.com